


Brother, Can You Spare a Colonel?

by alreadysomeone



Category: JAG (TV 1995)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:14:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alreadysomeone/pseuds/alreadysomeone
Summary: Webb’s brother shows up in town and proves to be quite the charmer, but is he too good to be true?  Shamelessly, but very loosely, based on the Moonlighting episode, “Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?”
Relationships: Sarah MacKenzie/Clayton Webb





	Brother, Can You Spare a Colonel?

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: Through Heart and Soul, though Webb’s back in the country.

It was a Friday night and Sarah MacKenzie was meeting her co-workers for a late dinner at the new pub in Falls Church, the Scotsman’s Lounge. It was a place where Sarah thought she should feel right at home given her Scottish heritage, but where the music tended to be more Motown than bagpipes, though the fare from the kitchen included “bangers and mash” and haggis. 

It'd been a long week of court appearances and hard won – or lost – cases. Though, not for Sarah. She'd been behind the bench these past couple of months. While she missed the investigative nature of being on the defense or the prosecution team, she'd found her appointment as Judge to be a nice change of pace. But, it did tend to put her at odds with her co-workers; at first at least. After a period of adjustment, things had settled down into a comfortable routine, and tonight, for the first time in six months or so, the collegial group of JAG staff members decided to socialize and make an evening out of it. 

Last to arrive, Sarah joined the others, who were already crowded around a tall bar table. The Admiral was laughing over a joke with Sturgis, Harm was debating some point of law with Bud, and it was Harriet who waved at Sarah, calling her over to where they were seated. 

Jokes were being made, and laughter was plentiful; the group was in high spirits. After a time, Sarah got up to powder her nose, though she always found that phrase kind of silly. On her way back from the restroom, where she had to admit, she did re-apply some powder to her face, and touched up her lipstick, she stopped at the bar to get a fresh drink.

"Soda and lime," she requested of the bartender. 

"Same for me," said a strange voice that somewhere in the back of her mind had a familiar timbre, though she wouldn't realize why until later in the evening. 

The voice was smooth, but not patronizing or overly flirtatious, Sarah thought, turning to look at its owner. She then found herself looking up at a tall, well-dressed man in his mid-30's. Not knowing if this man was trying to pick her up, or if his intentions to order the same drink were entirely coincidental, Sarah sized him up, attempting to judge the nature of his character through her gaze as they made the usual introductions. 

"Sarah MacKenzie,” she extended her hand,” You always order what the person next to you is having?" 

"I'm Charles, and no, not as a rule; the person next to me doesn't usually influence my drink of choice." 

Throughout the conversation that followed, Sarah was pleasantly surprised by the man's easy nature, and she began to wonder if it were possible to meet a man in a bar who was real “boyfriend material.” Charles was a very handsome man, with light brown hair and green eyes sparkled when he laughed, making Sarah feel like they were shining just for her. 

Charles told Sarah that he was in town visiting his mother after a long absence overseas, where he lived. Further explaining, he divulged that he lived in Dubai, where he owned a business importing rugs and textiles, primarily to Europe. Dressed in casual, but tidy, clothes, his manner was light, and his humor was always at the ready. Sarah felt entirely at ease with her new acquaintance and was happy to learn that he was alone, and had gone out simply to have an evening to himself rather than with his mother who, Sarah gathered, had been keeping Charles very busy during his visit. 

More than a half an hour had gone by since Sarah had taken leave of her friends, prompting Harriet to look for her in the ladies' room. Not finding her there, Harriet spotted her friend moments later smiling and laughing at something Charles had said. It was clear right away to Harriet that Sarah was comfortable with, or already knew, the handsome man. So she reported back to her friends that Sarah had met up with someone at the bar and appeared to be quite happily engaged. 

Nearly at the same moment that Harriet has seen Sarah, Clayton Webb had seen her too. But what he saw didn’t make him happy for the Colonel, unlike the reaction it produced in Harriet. Rather, it turned his stomach. 

His brother was putting his best moves on Sarah MacKenzie, a woman for whom he’d felt a strong attraction over the last several years. Clay never had the nerve, or opportunity, to be open with his feelings for Sarah. And so, they had remained under the surface – waiting until he could be sure any advances he made wouldn’t be rejected outright, or until Sarah finally got married, either to Harm or some other man who realized that she wouldn’t stay single forever – in which case, he’d be forced by circumstances to abandon any hope, small as it was, of a relationship with her. Clay wasn’t sure which scenario scared him more, confronting his feelings for her, or seeing her married. But, witnessing Charles whisper something into Sarah’s ear that produced a smile from her that he swore lit up the room, Clay knew seeing Sarah with someone else was the scenario to fear. Getting rejected would be nothing compared to the punch to the gut of knowing that he’d never voiced his affections for her, and that another man had captured her attention, and perhaps her heart. 

What stung the most was the fact that his brother was perhaps that man. Clay knew Charles was in town; it was precisely the reason that he’d avoided seeing his mother this past week. 

Charles was two years younger than Clay, and had always been the better liked of the brothers. As the older sibling, Clay was expected to set an example; Charles had their father fooled into thinking he was the “good son,” though Clay knew his mother was aware of Charles’ schemes.   
Charles usually got the girl too; he was a real charmer, even in high school. As a freshman, Charles managed to get a date to the senior prom; and, she was the girl Clay had intended to ask, but hadn’t had the nerve to. To add insult to injury, Charles conned Clay into driving he and his date to the dance, as if Clay were a limo driver.

Clay now watched Charles and Sarah together; an hour, then two, passed by, and they looked more and comfortable with one another, any personal space between them disappearing with each minute. Clay, with drink in hand, finally found the courage to approach them. 

Sarah had been amazed at how open Charles was. His humor was light, and he made Sarah feel as if she were the only woman in the room. She sighed inwardly, knowing he’d be leaving town soon, but hoped that their relationship could develop as much as possible while he was in town for the next two weeks. 

Charles gave Sarah his mother’s phone number, where he was staying, and they agreed to meet the following day to go horseback riding. 

“Charles, I don’t even know your last name,” Sarah inquired. 

“Webb.” 

“What?” Sarah said flatly, hoping she had heard him incorrectly. 

“You heard him – Webb. Hello, Charlie.” Clay sauntered up to his younger brother. 

“Clayton, you old jackass. You’ve been avoiding me,” Charles laughed jovially and pointed a finger in mock anger at Clay’s chest. 

Sarah was practically speechless. Practically. "Brother? You're kidding, Webb." 

Both siblings answered simultaneously, "No." 

"I meant you, Clay. You never told us you had a brother,” Sarah was irritated. This was a truly bizarre and unexpected revelation about her companion, as well as about the spy she’d worked with so many times. 

"You never asked,” Clay stated in his trademark dry tone, before continuing, directing his next question at Charles, “Charlie, what kind of line are you trying out on Mac, and is she falling for it?" 

"Excuse me?" Sarah said, not liking the attitude in Clay’s voice. It was far too reminiscent of Harm's protective haughtiness. 

Clay didn't even spare Sarah a glance, choosing, instead, to glare at his brother. 

"I'd never use a 'line' on a smart and beautiful woman like Sarah,” was the glib retort from Charles. 

"Oh, please," Clay rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Sarah. "I'm sure he's been nothing but the perfect gentleman with you this evening, but I can assure you, it's all an act. So, I apologize in advance for whatever sleazy things he may say or do later on tonight, or the swamp land in Florida he’s no doubt trying to sell you." 

"Actually, Clay, I was just leaving. Sarah, I'll see you in the morning. Call me when you're ready to be picked up, and we'll drive out to the stables." 

With that, Charles gave Sarah a peck on the cheek. Turning to his brother, he patronizingly patted Clay on his cheek, "Bye bye, Clay." 

Instead of staying with Sarah to explain his hostility towards Charles, Clay let his brother agitate his better senses, and he ran after Charles, catching him just outside the Scotsman’s Lounge. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Clay wanted to know. 

"Meeting an extremely attractive woman. What the hell are *you* doing?" 

"Trying to save an extremely attractive woman, and a *Marine*, from having to kick your ass when she finds out you're not really in the import business or whatever line you're using these days, Charlie." 

"What's it to you Clay? Wait a minute. Were you two involved? Did she dump you?" Charlie grinned with a devilish look in his eye. 

With a snort, Clay answered, trying his best not to betray his real feelings for Sarah, "Hardly." 

"So then other than your so called objections to me personally, you don't have a problem with Sarah MacKenzie getting involved with someone?" 

"Involved? You? The only involvement you usually have with a woman lasts no longer than three minutes. My guess is that you're in town to get money from Mother, then to dash back to the Middle East, where, as much as it pains me to say it, you're doing a great job of getting inside information on some terrorist groups for us. Though, you’re no doubt involved in some nefarious activities of your own on the side; which, I’m sure I’ll have to bail you out of soon enough. But, if you hurt so much as a hair on her head, Charlie..." Clay let the threat hang in the air. 

Charles turned the conversation to more mundane topics, knowing that Clay had accurately pegged the reason for his visit home, though Charles would never admit it. He had no qualms about pursuing Sarah. Now though, he felt like he had something to prove to Clay. But, Charles wasn't about to let his big brother's crush on this woman stop him from enjoying a little romance while he was in town. 

Managing to be civil for the next several minutes, Clay and Charles departed on fairly good terms. However, sleep, that night, came fitfully for Clay. Unbidden, the image of his brother literally charming the pants off Sarah, kept coming into his mind. And the picture made him feel ill with envy. At about 2am, he decided that even though it was probably a stupid move, he'd show up at the family stables tomorrow, just to keep an eye on Charles. Clay knew his brother would never try anything with Sarah that wasn't a welcome advance, and Sarah would hardly need anyone's help getting out of a situation like that, but Clay tried to convince himself all the same, that he was just being a good friend to Sarah, and that his brother needed to be reminded that he couldn't get away with his "international businessman" act when he was around. 

In his gut, Clay felt uneasy about Charles’ visit to the States. It was usually more than needing money that brought his brother around. Clay knew he’d been working some terrorist contacts, but also knew from experience that Charles most always had his own scheme going on the side. Clay had been waiting for one of his deals to go bad, expecting to one day have to bail Charles’ rear out of some sticky situation or another. Clay just hoped that this wasn't that time, because he didn't want to see Sarah get caught in the fallout. 

The next day, Sarah woke up thinking about Clayton Webb and his remarkably charming brother, Charles. Charles appeared to be everything Clay was not. He was fashionable; no stodgy three-piece suits for that man. Charles was easy and open in his manner, and in contrast to Clay's dry humor, Charles was almost silly at times. Sarah smiled to herself, thinking that Charles was so many things that she'd wanted in a man. And how ironic it was that he was Clayton Webb's brother. As she showered and dressed for her riding date with Charles, Sarah cursed Clay for his rudeness towards his own brother. It illustrated for her, the side to Clay that she'd always figured was at his core; the side that was arrogant and petty. Never once did it occur to her that Clay was a man who’d known and grown to trust and even love her over the past seven years, who was being driven by envy, rather than strictly an irrational sense of sibling rivalry and arrogance. Nor did it dawn on her that Clay had grown up with Charles, and that he might have better insight and instincts about Charles’ true nature, than she who’d only met him last night. 

Calling Charles at 10:30, Sarah provided him with directions to her house, and he picked her up there at 11:15. The drive in his vintage Mercedes convertible through the countryside was beautiful. Making their way through rural Maryland, where the Webb family stables were located, Charles took Sarah’s hand in his as he drove. 

"Sarah, thanks so much for coming out with me today,"

"My pleasure," Sarah replied, looking very much forward to a day of riding, and possibly an evening spent with Charles in a more intimate setting. 

Pulling onto the property, Charles cursed, "Why, that bastard." 

Sarah could see a car parked in front of one of the buildings "Who is it?" 

“Clay's here. He's no doubt come to 'save you’ from me.” 

Sarah rolled her eyes and tried to play it off as a silly notion, but inside, she was fuming. How dare Clay follow them out here? She decided not to make a scene if they were to run into him, as she was sure they would, but as soon as she and Charles parted ways later in the day, she planned to call Clay and really let him have it. 

Preparing two of the horses in the stable for their ride, Sarah and Charles set out on a trail that would lead them in a seven-mile loop around the property owned by the Webbs. They rode, talked, laughed, galloped, and breathed hard from the exercise. Dismounting their respective horses, Charles and Sarah took a break in a small meadow. 

"Sarah, I hate to sound cliché, but I'll be really sorry to leave you when I go back to Dubai." 

"I'll be sorry too. Meeting you was such a surprise. A very pleasant one." 

"I guess we'll have to make the most of the time we have." With that, Charles kissed Sarah on the lips and pulled her close to him with his hand at the back of her neck. 

Sarah leaned readily into the kiss, and enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers. Tenderly, as if asking permission, Charles licked her lips with his tongue, and she opened her mouth, encouraging Charles to deepen the kiss. However, any further exploration of this physical aspect to their budding romance was interrupted by the sound of galloping hooves. 

'Webb,' thought Sarah, angrily. 

"Clay," said Charles, out loud, perfectly matching Sarah's frustration. 

Charles and Sarah watched Clay pull his horse in front of them and stop. He hopped down, and greeted them with forced cheer in his voice. 

"Charlie, Sarah. Nice to see you. Enjoying your ride?" 

"Webb," Sarah ground out. 

It was clear to all of them, from that moment, that no one was fooled by any pleasantries that might be exchanged. Feeling suddenly very foolish, and sensing he wasn't going to make any headway with whatever plan he'd half conceived in his mind, Clay swung back into the saddle and rode off, sparing more than one look over his shoulder at his brother and Sarah MacKenzie. 

It was coincidence that brought the three of them together back at the barn a few hours later. Intending to throw in the towel and perhaps drown his sorrows in some scotch when he got home, Clay was coming out of the bathroom when he found himself face to face with Sarah in the small hallway. 

"Sarah,” Clay was genuinely surprised to see her. 

"Can I help you?” Sarah’s cold voice stated flatly. 

"Yes. You can steer clear of Charlie. Though it would really be more of a help to you, than to me." 

"Oh yeah?” Sarah raised her eyebrows. 

“I’ve had to bail that guy out of more jams than I care to remember.” Clay sensed his anger bubble up. 

“You know what I think? I think you’re jealous,” Sarah stated, appearing to have just lighted on the notion. 

“Jealous? Jealous of what? Of who? Charlie? That’s a joke.” Clay hated the fact that she was right. Even more so, he hated that she’d said it to his face. 

“Regardless of the reason for your hostility, remember, this is your brother. You’re lucky to have one. And it sounds like you don’t see him very much. You can fume all you want when he’s not in the country. But at least for your mother’s sake, you should try to get along, and appreciate the time you have with him when he’s around.” 

Clay’s attitude suddenly softened. ‘Damnit, she’s right,’ he thought. Charlie was a little shit, had been all his life. But he was the only brother Clay had. And they both knew how much it pained their mother that they were at odds. Sarah had hit the nail on the head though. There was envy coursing through his veins. Envy at how things seemed to come so easily to Charles, how he was able to get what he needed or wanted from people seemingly without effort. Though, in the end, Clay knew it was an act. Charles was as socially insecure as he was, but Charles had learned to overcome his self doubt with an act of confidence and charm. Clay just wished he were able to do that too. 

Clay said no more on the matter, and in fact, tried his best to be polite and conciliatory towards Sarah and Charles as they happened to see one another in the course of putting away their tack and cleaning up after their ride. 

Sarah noticed Clay’s remarkable change in attitude, and as she brushed down her horse, she thought about how Charles and Clay really were perhaps more alike than she’d originally imagined. She marveled at Clay’s immediate change in manor after she scolded him, and how he’d subsequently tried to ease the tension as the three of them interacted with each other and the horses. ‘Perhaps Clay just takes a little more effort to get to know,’ she thought, feeling proud that she’d voiced her opinion and, if things worked out with Charles, as she hoped they would, that she and Charles could spend time with Clay. She looked forward to getting to know the arrogant spy under those social circumstances. 

After Sarah and Charlie were done with their horses, Clay sullenly brushed down his mount. Meanwhile, Charlie stepped outside to sneak up on Sarah. He playfully covered her eyes, and when she turned in his arms, they fell into a passionate kiss. Sarah thought it was a picture perfect image of two people starting to fall in love, and she marveled at how fast it was all happening. 

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one thinking that it was a too-perfect picture of love. Watching from the bushes was a man clad in camouflage. He was taking aim with his weapon, fitted with a silencing mechanism designed to quiet the shots he intended to fire as he completed the task he was hired to do. 

Spotting Charles Webb and his lady friend through his scope, the man decided he could have a little fun, and take his shot so that it would travel through the woman, and then hit his target. This man was a hired killer, paid for by the personal funds of the head of a diamond company in Antwerp, who was also running drugs through Amsterdam. The details of why the diamond baron wanted Charles Webb dead didn't concern the assassin. He just knew that his contact had called him, said something about Mr. Detiège fearing that his drug trafficking business was in danger, and that Charles Webb needed to be killed. There was lots of money in it for him; that was all the hit man needed to know. 

As the killer took his final aim, Clayton Webb emerged from the barn, and paused at the sight of Charles and Sarah kissing, before looking away and immediately seeing the business end of the rifle that was aimed right at them. 

"Gun!" 

Sarah was on the ground in an instant, as was Charles, and they heard the bullet whiz over their head. They both expertly rolled behind a tree, which offered the nearest defensive position. Clay sprung into action, immediately drawing the small pistol he carried out of habit, even when riding. Darting behind one of the barn doors, Clay looked to his brother who nodded curtly in understanding that he needed to be the bait to draw the assassin's fire again so Clay could take his shot. 

"Stay here," he told Sarah, making a dash for the barn. 

Instantly, two shots rang out, one right after the other, and then it was quiet. 

Sarah had no idea what Charles thought he was doing, heading out into the open like that, but when it was over, she realized that he and Clay had worked together to reveal the location of the shooter, allowing Clay to take him down. 

Running to where Charles had dove into a pile of hay near the barn door, Sarah expressed her concern for his safety, “Charles, are you okay? That was one hell of a move.” 

Then, looking at Clay, it was clear to her that they’d worked together before; this wasn’t some game they’d played together as kids. 

“Okay, fess up you two,” she demanded. 

“Charlie, I think you’d better do some fessing up yourself, first. That guy wasn’t shooting at me,” Clay said. 

Staring at Charles in disbelief, Sarah waited for the conversation to play out before she spoke again. 

Charles confessed to Clay that he had indeed been doing some “business” on the side, in addition to the freelance spy work he did for the CIA; this last remark he directed at Sarah. She stared incredulously, “I guess it really is a ‘family business.’” 

Charles and Clay looked at each other and laughed. Soon after their brief moment of levity, Clay got very serious, “Charlie, you’re going to have some real explaining to do. And not to me."

“I know. I really got in over my head this time.”

Charles did explain to Clay, however. He’d been working as a middle man in a money laundering scheme, “But I had no idea until last week that it was drug money.”

“You idiot, what other kind of money gets laundered? It’s always drugs, black-market arms, or both; or, god forbid, human trafficking.” Clay shook his head at his brother, before continuing in a manner that reminded Sarah of a teacher scolding a bad schoolboy, “You're lucky you work freelance. The CIA would banish your ass forever if you were a regular employee.”

With that, Clay’s countenance changed from stern disciplinarian to disapproving older brother. Sarah thought she now understood the nature of the relationship between the Webb brothers. Where Charles was confident and social, Clay was stiff and awkward. But, where Charles lacked discretion and a certain wisdom, Clay conducted himself at all times with an almost protective cautiousness that was backed by instinct and experience.

Clay made a call to the Company, and the to local police, as Sarah and Charles talked quietly inside the barn.

“I’m really sorry Sarah. Getting involved with you was a mistake, knowing I was in the middle of this.”

“It’s okay, Charles. I enjoyed our time together, but I think you’re right, anything more between us probably isn’t in the cards.” Sarah didn’t want to tell Charles that while she still found him to be very handsome, she also thought any further emotional or physical involvement with him wasn’t all that attractive to her anymore. There was an air of immaturity now painfully apparent in Charles’ personality, and Sarah knew she could never be in a relationship with him. In fact, it was his older brother’s more steadfast nature that she now found herself thinking about.

A cough at the barn door brought their attention to Clay, who’d just walked in. “The Company guys are here, Charlie. I’ll drive your car back to Mother’s, Sarah can take mine home with her for the evening.”

“Thanks, bro,” Charles said casually, and then turned to Sarah to kiss her sweetly on the cheek before leaving to meet the CIA representatives who’d come to pick him up for debriefing. The Company would need to know how long he’d been involved in the money scheme, to then determine if it’d compromised any future work Charles could do for them.

Clay began to follow his brother outside, when Sarah stopped him, “Clay, wait.”

Feeling ashamed at his words to her today, and to Charles yesterday, and thinking himself quite the fool for following them out here in the first place, Clay approached Sarah, his gaze downcast.

“Clay, you and your brother have a unique relationship,” she couldn’t help smiling at her inadequate description, and when she did, Clay sheepishly smiled back.

“Well, you grow up with parents in the intelligence community, it’s hard not to go that direction yourself.”

“Yes, but you two obviously care a great deal about each other. And, whatever your reasons were for coming out here today, it was the right thing to do in the end. Your hunch about Charles being involved in something dangerous was right on.”

Clay considered Sarah, and what she’d just said. She was right, and he knew it. He and Charles had a love/hate relationship, established when they were kids, and it was one they’d likely never grow out of. Now that his feelings about his brother were exposed, Clay felt there was one loose end he needed to tie up, or at least air out.

“You thought I was jealous.”

“Were you?” Sarah hoped he had been.

“Yes,” he admitted, praying he wasn’t making a fool of himself. Since he was throwing caution to the wind, and the day’s events had been so unexpected in the first place, he took a large step forward, placing himself within easy touching distance of Sarah.

“Good.” With that, Sarah leaned in as if to kiss Clay, then sharply turned and left the barn.

Clay laughed to himself, knowing that she was toying with him, and feeling certain of an attraction between them, but not quite understanding how things would, or could, proceed.

Clay went outside in time to see Charles being driven off in the CIA vehicle, and to meet the sheriff who would be taking his statement. Introducing himself to the man, he excused himself for a minute to talk to Sarah.

“Here are my car keys. If you don’t mind, after I’m done here, and have dropped Charlie’s car at Mother’s house, I’ll make my way to your place to pick up my car. Will you be home later?”

“Do you want me to be home?”

‘Damnit,’ Clay thought, she’s totally fucking with me.

“Yes,” he finally said, and again stepped close to her.

“Good,” Sarah smiled, knowing they were repeating their encounter in the barn. This time, however, she followed through on the kiss, and brought her lips to Clay’s. The kiss was brief and sweet, but it confirmed for each of them that their attraction was mutual. For Sarah, it was one newly found; for Clay it was a long time in coming.

Parting ways, Sarah drove herself home in Clay’s red BMW, and Clay spent several hours with the police, going over exactly what had happened. At nearly 5 o’clock, Clay drove Charlie’s car to their Mother’s home, and filled her in on the day’s events.

“Clayton, you’re a good brother.”

“Thanks Mother.” They were words he’d heard from her all his life, usually after getting Charlie out of one scrape or another. He guessed that with families, some roles never change.

Clay showered and put on clean clothes, choosing a pair of jeans and a slightly-worn blue button down shirt. While he was tying his shoes, sitting at the foot of the staircase, Charlie came in the front door.

“Going out Clay? I assume that cab out front is for you.”

“Yeah. Home so soon Charlie?”

“Well, back tomorrow. I don’t think they’re quite through with me yet. But, I think I convinced them that it was all your fault.”

Clay’s initial reaction was to believe his brother had, again, tried to foil someone in a position of authority that none of the trouble he’d cause was of his own doing.

“Gotcha!” Charles laughed.

“Cute, Charlie. You’ll never grow up, will you?”

“Hope not. Now, if you’re going to see Sarah MacKenzie, tell her I say, ‘hello.’ And, be sure to kiss her long and hard for me, will you?”

Clay rolled his eyes, took Charlie’s statement as a sign that he wouldn’t be upset about any pending developments between he and Sarah. And, in the cab on the way to Sarah’s apartment, Clay felt oddly close to Charles, and against his better judgment, thought it would be nice if he stuck around town for a while this time.

‘I’m sure I’ll live to regret that wish,’ he chuckled to himself as he entered Sarah’s building.

Clay nervously wiped his hands on the front of his jeans, in case his palms were sweaty, and took a breath as he knocked on the door. Sarah opened it a moment later, and her beauty took him aback. He’d always considered her beautiful, but tonight she looked stunning. Sarah had showered when she got home, and had dressed in a pair of slim black slacks and a rust colored sweater. Not really knowing where the evening would lead, she decided on “nice but sexy” underwear in a deep blue, ‘Just in case,’ she thought as she dressed, smiling to herself.

Inviting Clay in, she looked him up and down, noting the casual clothes, which would have normally seemed out of place on the spy. But, seeing him in a different light today, not only on horseback in his riding pants, but interacting with his brother – she decided that he looked just as comfortable in this outfit as he did in his suits, or dressed for the desert in Afghanistan. Though, flashing on the image of him in riding pants gave her other ideas, perhaps for another evening.

They made small talk as Sarah offered, then served, coffee. Clay couldn’t take it any longer. He needed to know what was going on. Was she thinking of Charlie, or did she really want him there for her own personal reasons?

“Don’t you want to know what’s going on with Charlie?”

“I assumed that if something bad had happened, you’d have told me. Was I wrong?” she said, but Clay found it impossible to read anything into her comment.

“Um, no. Sarah, what’s going on here?”

“I guess you could say I learned a lot about you today. The things I really liked about Charles turned out to be an act. But, what I really like about you, is that there is no act.”

“Charlie really is something. I’m glad you met him.”

“Me too. But not half as glad as I am that I met you,” Sarah whispered as she brought her lips to Clay’s, ending her sentence with a kiss.

This kiss was everything he’d imagined a kiss from Sarah MacKenzie would be – hot, brimming with passion, but cautious, not giving away everything right away. Sarah marveled at Clay’s soft lips, which moved sensuously against hers. She readily parted her lips as his tongue slid across her mouth, inviting her to further the kiss. Clay moaned as he tasted her mouth and felt the texture of her tongue under his. Shifting in his seat on the couch, Clay angled his body to face Sarah’s and lifted his hands to hold her close to him, one hand caressing her hair, the other tightly held around her back, feeling the heat of her skin under the fuzzy sweater she wore.

Sarah reacted, immediately leaning her torso into Clay’s, and employed her own hands, running them over Clay’s shoulders and down to his tapered waist. She began to wonder what was in store for her under his clothes, and almost without conscious thought, she began to work at unbuttoning his shirt. Encouraged by her forward actions, Clay ran his hands under her sweater, again making a moaning sound against Sarah’s mouth as he discovered her smooth warm skin. Clay felt his groin tighten as his cock responded to the near-sensory overload he was experiencing.

Moving his touches higher, Clay bunched up Sarah’s sweater until he had access to her breasts. Pushing his hands into her breasts, he closed his grip around them, and felt her nipples tighten and harden against his palms. Sliding his caresses down, he found the sensitive peaks with his fingertips, and lightly pinched at them through the material of her bra 

Sarah, wanting to feel his hands against her bare skin there, reached back around herself and undid the clasp of her bra, allowing the undergarment to loosen enough so that Clay could reach under it. Instead of continuing his attention to her breasts, Clay lifted Sarah’s sweater up and over her head, then watched as she discarded her bra onto the floor. He continued to watch her with wrapped attention as she finished undoing the buttons of his shirt and ran her hands over his chest.

“Please tell me Charlie didn’t get this far,” Clay pleaded.

“No. And if you mention his name again tonight, I’ll throw you out into the street in nothing but your skivvies."

“Understood. Now, are you going to let me take you to bed?” Clay was feeling his confidence build and wanted more than anything to make love to this woman.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

In their half-dressed state, Sarah led Clay into her bedroom, where her queen-sized bed stood in the middle of the amply sized room. Folding the covers back, Sarah invited Clay into her bed. Before sliding under the covers together, they both undressed, never once taking their eyes off of each other. Clay nearly fell over when he saw Sarah’s bikini underwear that made her legs look impossibly long. And his cock jumped in anticipation of those long legs wrapping around him as he drove into her. Sarah smiled expectantly when she watched Clay undo his button-fly jeans, and saw the bulging outline of his cock straining against his conservative white briefs. She made a mental note to see just how “un-conservative” she could persuade him to be tonight.

Finally naked and in bed together, they began a thorough exploration of one another’s bodies. Sarah’s hands touched every plane of Clay’s form, and Clay thought he’d never get enough of the way Sarah’s skin felt as he caressed her in her entirety, and then started all over again. Lips kissed and sucked, tongues dueled and lapped, and legs were tangled together in an increasingly fervent effort to bring a delicious pleasure to their aching groins.

Clay rolled on top of Sarah, pressing his erection into her inner thigh. Kissing her neck, and reaching to keep his hands on her, especially those places that elicited the most movement and noise from his lover, Clay paused to ask the mandatory question, and the one keeping him from attaining his goal, “Protection?”

“Um, bedside table? How long do those things last?”

“Long enough I hope.”

Clay reluctantly slid himself to a position where he could reach the aforementioned drawer. He was now lying on top of Sarah, nearly perpendicular to her, and his cock was comfortably resting against her hip. Sarah took advantage of the position, and reached down to stroke him. Losing concentration on his current task, Clay pressed himself into her grasp, and rested his head on the bed. Sarah continued her gentle assault on Clay’s cock, feeling his hardness and size increase as she ran her hand over and over him, with increasingly firm motions. Clay reached his hand to the juncture of Sarah’s legs, and found the spot he was searching for. 

Pushing past her curls, he slipped his middle finger between her folds to place her clit under his circling finger. Moving her hips around, Sarah set the pace of their manual manipulations. Clay dipped his fingers lower and into her core, discovering how wet she was. Between the way she was fisting his cock, and the feel of her slick inner heat, Clay was reminded of what he’d gone looking for in the first place.

Shifting slightly, Clay lifted his head to look in the drawer for the condoms he hoped were there. In his search, he came across a vibrator, two books, three different hand lotions, a flashlight, and finally the box of condoms.

“What’s the expiration date?” Sarah’s voice was tinged with anxious, but wanton, urgency.

“Not until 2005. Did you want to wait?"

“Not a minute longer. Come here.”

Clay knelt beside Sarah, and allowed her to roll one of the prophylactics over his cock, while he teasingly pinched and twisted her nipples. Done with the job, Sarah again said, “Come here.”

Clay had no difficulty obliging her request, and used his knee to push her legs further apart. She gladly opened them to him, and relished the feel of his ample size nudging at her opening, then sliding slowly, all the way into her core 

Sarah squeezed her inner muscles in an automatic response to taking him in, and from that tiny movement, Clay and Sarah didn’t stop until they were both spent. Driving deeper and deeper into her, with Sarah encouraging him on, squeezing his firm ass, and lifting her legs to lock her ankles around his waist, Clay sped up their rhythm, taking his cues from her.

“Oooh, yeah. Yeah,” Clay thought he heard himself say as he spiraled out of control. Though, the one thing that was crystal clear to him in that moment, was Sarah saying his name, and the rhythmic squeezing of her orgasm around his cock that felt tighter than he’d ever imagined it could feel.

Collapsing onto her, Sarah laughed. “Wow,” she said, spreading her arms out wide on the bed in a gesture of exhaustion.

"No kidding,” Clay panted. 

“And to think we owe it all to Charles. Got any other siblings?" 

“If I say yes, can we do this again?” Clay teased.

“If you say yes or no, we can do this again. I’d just as soon skip the part where we get shot at though.”

“Gladly,” Clay smiled and turned his head into the crook of Sarah’s shoulder, and kissed her gently.

END


End file.
